Masters and Princes

Part Seven


Duncan found the queen reading in her bedchamber while her husband held audiences in the throne room. They allowed him unlimited access to the palace, as befitted an ambassador from another world, a status he shared with Marlena. She had made it plain that she welcomed his company. In the course of over two decades, she had had very few opportunities to hear news from her home planet, even an alternate version of her home planet.

She laid her book down when he knocked on her open door. He was struck once again by her beauty. He easily understood how Randor could have fallen in love with her at first sight. She was extremely intelligent; she had earned advanced degrees in astronavigation and mathematics. The coordination which made her an excellent pilot also translated into a natural grace that guided her every movement. Her voice was low and pleasant as she greeted him. "Good morning, Duncan. What can I do for you?"

He smiled in response. "You're the keeper of reason around here. Maybe you can give me some answers."

"Ask away. I'm glad to help. I know how confusing it can be to drop into a magical kingdom--out of the blue, as it were." She curled her legs beneath her, affording him room to sit at the foot of her bed.

He accepted the tacit invitation. "Actually, my question has more to do with your son. There's something unusual about him."

"I don't know what you mean," she said. Her eyes slipped down to the blank leather cover of her book. Eternian culture appeared not to include mass-market paperbacks. She didn't enjoy lying, he could tell. Misinformation of any sort grated on her personality.

"Uh-uh. Been there. Done that." He recalled the similar statement he had made after Teela had commented on his age. This must be the part of the dream dealing with the Big Secret. To tell or not to tell? Now he knew how Anne must have felt after getting her first glimpse into his hidden life. Frustrated. "What is it? You must have some idea, or you wouldn't be so quick to discourage me. 'Fess up."

"Believe me, Duncan, it's nothing you need concern yourself with."

"Possibly not. But I think you should be concerned."

That brought her eyes back to his. "Why?"

"You want your son to be happy, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" she answered indignantly.

"An observant woman like yourself can't have missed noticing that Adam is in love with the Captain of the Guard. This mysterious secret that keeps him from her is breaking his heart."

"There's no mystery. He's a prince. Teela may be a wonderful girl, and I don't doubt that she's a skilled professional--she's saved my life a number of times--but she's not royalty. It's an unfortunate accident of birth."

Duncan shook his head. "I've seen the way the two of them interact. He treats her as an equal, even a superior. Now, you Eternians might have the most relaxed notions of conduct with royalty I've ever seen, but you're not that relaxed."

She frowned in contemplation. "I don't understand that myself. Still, Adam has always been a kind, generous person, and I admire those qualities in him."

"So, you're not going to tell me."

"I'm sorry, Duncan, I wish I could. Some things are just too important. Too many lives are at stake."

"I'll be leaving this dimension forever as soon as the Sorceress finds a way. I'm not a security risk. I may even be able to bring a fresh perspective to the problem, come up with a solution."

She was wavering. The camaraderie she felt toward a fellow Earthling made her want to trust him. She just needed an extra push and she would cave in. He could empathize with her reluctance--he wouldn't reveal his immortality to just anyone.

Perhaps that was the key.

"Listen," he said, "what would you say to a reciprocal exchange of information? You tell me your son's secret if I tell you mine."

She pondered, slipping off her gold coronet to rub her temples. Finally she said, "Speak your piece. I won't make any promises."

Fair enough. He felt a twinge of apprehension, but it wasn't as though he were telling a real person, after all. He turned on the famed MacLeod charm. "I am an Immortal. I was born in the Highlands of Scotland four hundred years ago."

She raised her eyebrows. "Immortal?"

"I cannot die unless I am beheaded. I can prove it if you like, although it's rather messy and very unpleasant."

"That won't be necessary. ...Are there many Immortals in your version of Earth?"

"Depends on your definition of many. It's not the norm, if that's what you mean, and we don't advertise. Your Earth might have had an Immortal community completely without your knowledge."

"True." She ran a hand through her bright red hair. "All right. You held up your end. Does your Earth have the Superman myth?"

"Yup. The guy with the cape and tights, right? Flies around fighting for truth, justice, and the American way?"

"That's him. Have you heard about Eternia's own superhero, He-Man?"

"Bits and pieces, mostly. Why? Is he another rogue Kryptonian?" He grinned to indicate he was teasing.

"Do you remember the part about Clark Kent?"

"Sure. Superman's secret identity. The mild-mannered reporter no one would ever suspect of..." he ground to a halt. "You're kidding."

"I'm afraid not. My son is He-Man's secret identity. Unfortunately, unlike Clark Kent, my son does not have He-Man's powers. The transformation is governed by a sword that channels magic to him from Castle Grayskull. If he loses the sword, Eternia loses its hero."

Duncan winced. What a way for his subconscious to introduce the importance of swords!

"Every criminal on the planet wants to do away with him. So you see, even if Teela were a princess and they were permitted to have a relationship, he wouldn't subject her to such danger."

The Gathering. Of course. No wonder Adam seemed so much like Richie.

End Part 7

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© 1995 Amparo Bertram. Previously published on HLFIC-L Internet mailing list.